Ninja vs. Shark (2023) - Movie Trailer

 Here is the trailer for Koichi Sakamoto's latest movie, Ninja vs. Shark! Here is the synopsis:

Set in the Edo period, the story of Ninja vs. Shark takes place in the remote village of Okitsu. Koushirou (played by Yuichi Nakamura), an evil cult leader, uses ninjutsu to ensorcell sharks and forces them to attack local pearl divers so the cult can steal the pearls from their mangled corpses. Desperate for help, the village chief hires Kotaro Shiozaki (played by Kohshu Hirano), a guard at a nearby temple, but Kotaro soon finds his path blocked by Kikuma (Kanon Miyahara), a lady ninja, and a gigantic shark that doesn't seem like something from this world...

Knowing this is a Koichi Sakamoto film, I am very excited to see it! He has done fight scenes/action scenes for Power Rangers, Kamen Rider, Ultraman, and the Mark Dacascos classic Drive (1997), among many others. Juria Nagano also stars in this movie! Juria wrestles for Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling, and uses her martial arts skills in her matches.  I like what I've seen of her so far in TJPW, so I can't wait to see her in action on the big screen. 

Ninja vs. Shark comes out April 14, 2023 in Japan. Hopefully it gets an international release because I need to see this!

 

Shogun's Ninja (1980) - A Review

 

An underrated ninja/martial arts movie from Japan.

Shogun's Ninja is a martial arts/ninja movie released in Japan in 1980, starring Hiroyuki Sanada, Sonny Chiba, Yuki Ninagawa, Etsuko Shihomi, and Isao Natsuyagi. It was directed by Norifumi Suzuki, with Sonny Chiba directing the action.

Hiroyuki Sanada as Takamaru.

In Shogun's Ninja, Hiroyuki Sanada plays Momochi Takamaru, the heir to the leadership of the Momochi clan (and possibly the leader of a united Japan) who escaped to China after his father was murdered by the Iga clan. Takamaru's mother sends her son away with a dagger (that is passed down to the heir of the Momochi clan), and ends her life so the Iga clan cannot get any information from her. Shiranui Shōgen (played by Sonny Chiba) is in search of the Momochi clan daggers because they have a map to the Momochi clan's hidden cache of gold.

Ten years later, Takamaru comes back to Japan, in search of the man who killed his father. He meets up with his surviving childhood friends, and together they plan to get revenge. The girl who saved his life in China and introduced him to Chinese martial arts, Ai-Lian (played by Etsuko Shihomi) has also arrived in Japan, looking for him. Unbeknownst to Takamaru, his childhood friend Otsu (played by Yuki Ninagawa) survived and is now living as the sister of Hattori Hanzō (played by Isao Natsuyagi). Hattori also wants the daggers. Takamaru has many people on his side, but is it enough to defeat  Shiranui Shōgen and his shogun?

Sonny Chiba as Shiranui Shōgen.

Shogun's Ninja is a Japanese martial arts movie that goes all out in in every way. There is a lot of action, lots of cool scenery, lots of memorable moments, and lots of memorable characters. Hiroyuki Sanada, in his first lead role, plays a great hero. He gets to show his martial arts skills throughout, and even his dancing prowess as well. He is likable, and Takamaru is a hero you can really root for. Sonny Chiba is more of a stoic villain in this movie. He is highly skilled and merciless. There is a scene where his character is torturing Takamaru, and it gets pretty painful (if you are a male, you will especially feel it)! It is always great to see Etsuko Shihomi kicking butt in movies, and she does a lot of that in Shogun's Ninja! She is a strong woman who wants to help Takamaru any way she can.

The plot is kind of basic (finding the twin daggers, which has a map to treasure engraved on them), but it really doesn't need a deep story when it has so much action in it. Takamaru just wants revenge, Shiranui Shōgen wants the daggers, and therefore the treasure and the power. Hattori Hanzō wants the daggers for the treasure, so he sends his sister to steal them. Since Otsu grew up with Takamaru, we are unsure of her motives throughout the movie. It's an interesting scenario. The resolution to everything is pretty fitting, I feel.

I have been looking for this movie for years! It's been decades since I last watched it on late night cable TV (TNT). These are the only things I could clearly remember about the movie: it was called "Ninja's Revenge", there were ninjas who crawled up and down trees like spiders, a female martial arts fighter ripped her pants when fighting some bad guys, the main character looked similar to Jackie Chan, and the main villain was played by Sonny Chiba. I looked everywhere for this movie, but as you can imagine, I wasn't finding anything under the "Ninja's Revenge" title. Finally, I see Shogun's Ninja on the American streaming site Tubi, I read the description, and I take a chance on it. Everything I remembered from back then happened in this movie! What a feeling it is when you find something after years of being unsuccessful looking for it. The only thing I didn't remember was the soundtrack to this movie. It has a very funky, jazzy soundtrack. The music is okay, I guess, but it is surprising for this type of movie! It was better than I remembered, that's for sure!

There is a lot of crazy ninja action in Shogun's Ninja!

There is a lot of action in Shogun's Ninja!  Hiroyuki Sanada gets to strut his stuff throughout the movie. His first fight in the movie is a good display of his hand to hand combat skills. He fights off a group of thugs with ease, and he does some sweet kicks and acrobatics in the process. In later fights, he mainly uses his dagger(s), which he is very proficient at. Sonny Chiba's character is a ruthless fighter, and one of his special moves is forming a human tower with twin fighters. It's very cool to see it in action! Etsuko Shihomi is great in this, and mainly uses nunchakus against her enemies. There are ninja battles high in the trees, with ninjas falling to their deaths. Lots of bloody action as well, with limbs flying and blood spurting. The action is very good in Shogun's Ninja!

If you like ninja action, swordplay, and historical Japanese stories, I think you would enjoy Shogun's Ninja. I think it is a very entertaining and enjoyable movie. This may not be considered one of Sonny Chiba's or Hiroyuki Sanada's best movies, but they are great in it. What a lead role debut for Hiroyuki Sanada in Shogun's Ninja. He really gets to show his physical talents in this, and it is like a preview of the greatness he would later achieve in movies like Ninja In The Dragon's Den (1982) and Royal Warriors (1986). Check out Shogun's Ninja, it's a wild ride!

Reviewed by David Williams

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up (1993/1995) - A Review

 

This movie rocks!

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up is a family martial arts comedy movie released in 1995 (but filmed in 1992) starring Michael Treanor, Max Elliott Slade, Chad Power, Victor Wong, Crystle Lightning, Patrick Kilpatrick, Donal Logue, Charles Napier, Don Shanks, and Don Stark. The movie was directed by Shin Sang-ok (known as Simon Sheen in the credits for this movie), with fight scenes choreographed by Wan-Chang Lin and Han-Ching Liu. 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up is the direct sequel to the first 3 Ninjas movie, though it was released after the third movie (3 Ninjas Kick Back).

From left: Max Elliott Slade as Colt, Chad Power as Tum Tum, Chrystle Lightning as Jo, and Michael Treanor as Rocky.

In 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up, Rocky (played by Michael Treanor), Colt (played by Max Elliott Slade), and Tum Tum (played by Chad Power) are spending summer vacation with their grandpa (played by Victor Wong) again when one day they help Jo (played by Crystle Lightning) deal with grown men picking on her (she is about 12 years old, and these guys are grown men pushing her around) at a pizza parlor. After the fight, the crowd praises the 3 Ninjas, and the 3 Ninjas seem a little too proud of their accomplishment. Grandpa feels they are getting too cocky, so he punishes them. He also asks them a very philosophical question relating a flower to their situation. The 3 Ninjas are stumped by this question...

A bit later, the 3 Ninjas find out from Jo that her father is missing, and the men messing with her at the pizza parlor are most likely involved. Those men work for a business man whose company has been dumping toxic waste illegally on the Native American reserve where she lives. Her father went to get some information to prove the illegal activity was happening, but never came back. The 3 Ninjas decide to help Jo find her dad.

From there, the 3 Ninjas actually act like real ninjas and track their enemies' movements, they make their weapons by hand, and go on their mission in the cover of night. They find Jo's father, who has to present evidence in a court case to stop the illegal dumping. Of course, Jo gets kidnapped, and the 3 Ninjas have to rescue her before her father has to make his case in court.

Probably the funniest scene in the movie. Tum Tum kills it in this scene!

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up is a very different movie from the first 3 Ninjas movie. There is a lot more action in this one! There isn't that much comedy, but it is still a very funny movie. It has a different feel and look to it. The movie almost seems like a low budget film even though there are a lot more locations and stunts in this one. Still, I think this movie rocks! I didn't hear about this movie until my dad gave me and my brother a copy of the movie he recorded off of HBO or Showtime. There were no commercials on TV for this movie at all. We did see 3 Ninjas Kick Back at the movie theater, so this movie just came out of nowhere for us. It was weird to see the original actors back in their roles after some of them were recast in 3 Ninjas Kick Back. I prefer the originals, not going to lie.

I like how the 3 Ninjas grow as people and as heroes in this movie. At the start of the movie, the 3 Ninjas help people because they have the skills to do it and they genuinely want to help, but they also like the attention they get from it. As the movie goes on, they help people because it is the right thing to do, period. I also like how Native Americans are treated respectfully by the 3 Ninjas (of course, the bad guys are jerks to them). It is a pretty positive portrayal, but then there is the whole 'white savior' aspect to the movie that may not play well today. It does make me wonder, are there any mainstream movies where there is a Native American protagonist who stands up to oppressors and helps others regardless of ethnicity? If not, why isn't there one? 

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up has some great fight scenes!

The fight scenes in 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up blew me away when I first watched it back then! The action was very Hong Kong-inspired. I was not expecting that! The 3 Ninjas kick major butt in this one! A great scene happens at a junkyard. There is a lot of acrobatic moves and using the environment in the fight. Very similar to a Jackie Chan fight scene! The final fight scene takes place at an abandoned (seemingly) little town where the 3 Ninjas fight off cowboys and bikers. It's like a fight in a saloon in a western movie! During this scene, Rocky and Tum Tum get their dance on while fighting off the bad guys. It's cute. How that segment of the scene starts off reminds me of the start of the bar fight in Project A. The kids do most of their own stunts, but stunt doubles are used for some of the more spectacular and dangerous moves/stunts. Colt does some wild stuff in this one! The action is very good in 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up!

In conclusion, 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up is another underrated martial arts movie that should be seen by more people. I will say, this sequel is more about the action than the comedy, but the comedy that is there is enjoyable. It's a nice family movie with some fun fight scenes. Check it out! It is really unfortunate that these kids never got to go on and become action stars. They were really talented. At least we have 3 Ninjas and 3 Ninjas Knuckle Up to remember them at their best.

Reviewed by David Williams

3 Ninjas (1992) - A Review

 

Classic 90s family movie. Underrated, I think.

3 Ninjas is an American family comedy martial arts movie released in 1992 and starred Victor Wong, Michael Treanor, Max Elliott Slade, Chad Power, Kate Sargeant, Rand Kingsley, and Professor Toru Tanaka. 3 Ninjas was directed by Jon Turteltaub, with Rick Avery as stunt coordinator and Monty Cox as second stunt coordinator.

Michael Treanor as Rocky, Chad Power as Tum-Tum, and Max Elliott Slade as Colt: The 3 Ninjas!

In 3 Ninjas, Victor Wong plays Mori Tanaka, a master in the martial art of ninjutsu who is taking care of his three grandsons over the summer. At the end of the summer, Mori gives them nicknames based on their personalities: The oldest brother, Samuel Douglas Jr., (played by Micheal Treanor), is named Rocky; the second oldest, Jeffrey Douglas (played by Max Elliot Slade) is named Colt; and the youngest brother, Michael Douglas (played by Chad Power), is called Tum-Tum. Before the kids head back home, Mori is visited by an old friend, Hugo Snyder (played by Rand Kingsley), who wants Mori's son-in-law Sam, the kids' father, to stop investigating him. Snyder threatens Mori's family if he doesn't get Sam off his back...

Hugo Snyder was almost caught by Sam and the FBI previous to this, in a sting selling illegal warheads. Mori doesn't help Snyder, so Snyder decides to kidnap the kids. He sends his assistant's bumbling nephew (and his two friends) to kidnap them. For the kidnappers, their mission doesn't go so good, as the 3 Ninjas are able to defend themselves. Unfortunately, Snyder's bodyguard (played by Professor Toru Tanaka) shows up and kidnaps them anyways. Sam must trust Mori to confront Snyder and help get the kids back. The 3 Ninjas, must find a way out of their situation while keeping faith that their grandfather isn't a bad guy...

Victor Wong as Mori Tanaka, the 3 Ninjas' grandfather. He rules in this!

I'll just say it, and it's been said before: 3 Ninjas is basically Home Alone with martial arts. This isn't a bad thing, though! 3 Ninjas is still funny and entertaining in it's own right, after all these years. It's good clean fun for the whole family (though there are two instances of offensive words in regards to handicapped people used; unfortunately, that is how kids talked back then...and even now). Yes, most of the comedy is kid humor, but there's nothing wrong with going back to your childhood and enjoying what was funny to you back then (if you are an adult reading this review). Kids reading this review, just go watch the movie!

I like the relationship between the three brothers: Rocky is steady and unshakeable, Colt is hotheaded, and Tum-Tum is...a little kid that loves to eat. Rocky and Colt don't always include Tum-Tum in their celebrations, and Tum-Tum repeats what his older brothers says a lot. Rocky calms Colt down when he's fired up, but Colt always backs up his brothers. Tum-Tum is the funniest of the brothers, I would say. The brothers are confident in themselves and in their skills. The brothers love their grandpa, as well as their parents; so the conflict between their father and their grandpa (Sam doesn't approve of Mori teaching the kids ninjutsu) has an effect on them throughout the movie.

The three kidnappers, lead by Fester (played by Patrick Francis Labyorteaux) are three of the dumbest surfer/skater dudes you'll ever see! Think Bill and Ted, but way, way dumber. When I was kid, they annoyed me so much (and I loved Bill and Ted), but watching it now, I think they are hilarious! The main villain, Snyder, is quite the bombastic jerk! He is rich, greedy, and an expert martial artist. Rand Kingsley gives a good performance as Snyder, but he is not a really memorable kids movie villain. Victor Wong as Mori/Grandpa is great in this. You can tell through his performance that he loves his grandchildren. He is a bit stubborn, in a good way and in a bad way, but he is willing to compromise. Victor Wong rules!

The 3 Ninjas don't hold back in their fight scenes!

The action in 3 Ninjas is pretty good...for a kids movie. Nothing too violent to worry about. At first, the 3 Ninjas fight their enemies using their surroundings (what Jackie Chan is famous for in America). It is very comedic, and it's funny to see the enemies flying around like ragdolls after getting hit by the kids. Later on in the movie, we get to really see the ability of the kid ninjas. They definitely have the skill! The best fights involving the kids is at the end when they are trying to escape being kidnapped. Mori also fights quite a bit in this, but it is obviously a stuntman. It's fine, though. There actually are some scenes where you can't tell if it's Victor Wong himself or a stuntman, so kudos to the stunt team and the editor! The early fights are fun and silly, the later fights are a bit more serious with higher stakes.

I do recommend 3 Ninjas, for sure! It's just an enjoyable, funny movie safe for the whole family. I will say, the version I watched (which was on the streaming site Tubi) was the international version. This version is a little longer and has some things changed from the original 'American' version I watched as a kid. To say what the differences are would spoil the movie, but it doesn't change the movie as a whole. Anyways, 3 Ninjas is really underrated nowadays, and I think people should give it a chance in the 2020s.

(ROCKY loves EMILY, by the way.)

Reviewed by David Williams